Caralee Johnson Adams has worked as a journalist for nearly 25 years, covering education, health, parenting, and other issues. She received her journalism degree from Iowa State University and her master’s degree in political science from the University of New Orleans.

Least expensive private colleges - Berea College in Kentucky tops the list charging just $910 for tuition and fees for a year. Brigham Young Universities in Idaho, Hawaii, and Provo, Utah, are also listed as good values.

Colleges where students receive the most merit aid - Belhaven University in Jackson, Miss., gives 82 percent of its students some merit aid (not linked to financial need). Also, high on the list: Newbury College in Brookline, Mass., and Ferrum College in Ferrum, Va.

Schools with the least graduate debt - At Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky, students left on average owing just $3,108. Next on the list was Princeton University, where graduates on average racked up $4,385 in loans.

Nationally, the average student debt is $26,600 for students completing a bachelor's degree, according to the Project on Student Debt.

The latest trends report from the College Board shows the average published price for attending a public, four-year college for in-state was $8,655 for tuition and $9,205 for room and board. Out-of-state students paid an average of $21,706 this year. Total cost of attending a private, nonprofit college is $39,518.

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